Shopify Tutorial for Beginners: A Complete Guide in 2024

If you made it to this Shopify tutorial, I bet that you are interested in the platform or even building a digital store on it. In this article by LitExtension – #1 Shopping Cart Migration Expert, I'll walk you through an in-depth how to use Shopify (based on my personal experience with this platform) with the following points:

• 10 steps to create a Shopify store
• How to create essential pages 
• How to make the first Shopify sale
• Tips to reduce costs on Shopify

Without further ado, let's get started!

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Shopify Tutorial: How To Create A Shopify Store

Launched in 2006, Shopify quickly made its mark as the #1 eCommerce platform, all thanks to its user-friendly setup and massive app store (you can check out our Shopify review here). With over 8.8 million stores already thriving, its popularity certainly is not slowing down!

If you're ready to become a part of this merchant community, here's our quick guide to help you create your Shopify store:

• Step 1: Create a Shopify account
• Step 2: Explore the dashboard
• Step 3: Add your first product
• Step 4: Choose a storefront theme
• Step 5: Add a custom domain
• Step 6: Name your store
• Step 7: Configure essential settings
• Step 8: Place a test order
• Step 9: Pick a plan and start the business!
• Step 10: Optimize the store with Shopify apps

In case you prefer a visual approach to this Shopify Guide, don't forget to check out our video:

Without further ado, let's jump right into our Shopify tutorial!

Step 1: Create a Shopify account

The very first step of this Shopify tutorial is to create an account on Shopify. You can enjoy a 3-day Shopify trial for free or a 3-month trial for just $1/month. At the Shopify page, fill in your email address and click “Start free trial”.

Once you're in, this platform will ask you to fill in personal information via a few pages.

Some required information is the email address, store name, and current location. You also need to provide your business intentions, including what you are selling on Shopify, which industry you are in, and why you set up the store.

Now that your account is ready, let's move on to the next step of this Shopify tutorial for beginners.

Step 2: Explore the dashboard

Once the required information is complete, let's move on to the next step of my guide.

Click on “Enter my store,” and this platform will navigate you to the Admin screen. Most actions in this Shopify tutorial appear on this screen, and here is what the process should look like:

As shown in the image, the Admin page enables you to:

• List products
• Set up payments and shipping
• Keep track of your store’s analytics
• Choose a theme and customize the store.

It seems to be a lot of fillings, but once you have it done, I believe your online shop will run perfectly in the coming months.

Step 3: Add your first product

Now, it's time to add the very first product to the catalog and kick off your eCommerce business. You just need to complete these simple tasks:

• From your Shopify admin dashboard, go to “Products” and click “Add product.”

• Now, add the product title, description, and media (images, videos, or 3D models) to showcase your product.

• Once done, set the price (in “Pricing”) and enable “Track Quantity” (in “Inventory”) to monitor stock. Plus, if the item is physical, you should also add its weight and other necessary customer details.

• Satisfied with all your settings? Click “Preview” to double-check the product page, then hit “Save product” to make it live on your store.

As you can see, the steps above are pretty simple; however, you will have to repeat them over and over again for basically every single product. Not exactly the most efficient way to spend your time!

And here's where the bulk uploading solution (via CSV files) comes to the rescue and saves you tons of time and effort. Even better, if you're looking to migrate your entire store — not just product files — then turning to reputed migration services like LitExtension is definitely the way to go.

We've pulled together every necessary step for product bulk-uploading in this short video. You can give it a watch here:

Step 4: Choose a storefront theme

Each Shopify business is a unique destination, and what gives your website a distinctive appearance is the Shopify themes. Therefore, if you are looking for a guide on how to start a Shopify store, it's important to consider this element.

Based on my testing of the product, there are more than 100 well-designed website templates for you to choose from its large Theme Store. Moreover, you can source the themes from other marketplaces or providers easily because they are all-time available.

As you may be overwhelmed by a lot of Shopify templates out there, I have compiled a detailed list of the best Shopify themes, which you can check and pick a proper one for your store. And if you are on a budget, don't forget to check out my selection of 34 best Shopify themes.

From the Admin view, there is a default theme in the first place, but later you can make adjustments from the free or paid theme collections. However, before immediately choosing a theme, my advice is that you should have a moment to check for demos, previews, and feedback from other users. You know what? You can easily change themes on Shopify!

Add a Shopify theme to your store

If you've chosen a suitable website design for your business, the next step in this Shopify tutorial is adding that layout to your website.

After that, go to “Online Store” > “Themes” > “Add themes.” From here, you will be redirected to the Shopify Theme Store to select the best template for your online presence.

You are able to add as many themes as you want to test and review, but please note that you can “Publish” only one of them at a time. Therefore, in the scope of this Shopify tutorial for beginners, I highly recommend that you try several website templates before selecting the best one for your business.

Customize your Shopify theme

If you want to take your business to another level, feel free to further customize your Shopify theme. A lot of options are available to start customizing, and you can start by clicking on the “Customize” button.

Here, you can freely add new sections to your Shopify page, change text typeface and color by editing theme settings, change Shopify logo, and so on. Additionally, if you want to further customize your online presence, feel free to use Shopify Liquid. And in case you need changes that require HTML or CSS, and you do not have high-tech skills, then consider hiring a Shopify Expert.

Step 5: Add a custom domain

The next step in this Shopify tutorial is adding a domain name. Just like any other website, your website needs the domain name as the address that allows visitors to search on the engine and access the store correctly. Here, Shopify offers a direct solution for you.

You can go to “Settings” > “Domain.”

At first, Shopify assigned a default domain which is www.store-name.myshopify.com. Later on, when branding becomes more essential, any merchants (including you) will eventually want a different name that displays a customized URL, such as www.store-name.com that can also rank better in search.

In this instance, you can either buy a domain name from Shopify, which usually charges $11 (and above) yearly with automatic configuration. Not to mention, you can keep the domain name even if you no longer use the platform. Or else, you can purchase a domain name from many other providers that are available online.

Step 6: Name your store

Now, your store clearly needs a name; it gives your brand identity and helps customers remember you way easier! Head to “Settings” > “Store details” > “Basic information” and type a name under “Store name,” and you're set.

Still brainstorming on a good name? Don't sweat it. We've put together a list of over 600+ store name ideas to spark some inspiration!

Step 7: Configure essential settings (payments, shipping, etc.)

In most Shopify tutorials, you will encounter this essential settings instruction which enables you to deliver your package smoothly to customers.

Now, go to the “Settings” page and let me briefly explain the 8 most important elements for you.

1. Store details

This element is your general information about the business.

2. Locations

Relates to inventory management, order fulfillment, and product selling. The locations might be any destinations (i.e. outlets, warehouses, drop shippers, etc.) or apps that connect with your inventory. The number of locations is limited based on your selected Shopify plan.

3. Shipping and delivery

After drafting out a solid shipping strategy, this is where you choose your preferred delivery methods for the business. Later, customers select one of the methods during checkout, and the shipping zone or rates will depend on where your customers are located.

Shopify Shipping supports domestic services for Canada and the USA that help merchants to cut down some costs. They provide shipping labels that show the rates and optimize the delivery speed by allowing customers to leave packages at any post. At any location, you can totally offer free shipping based on price range, product weight, or discounts.

4. Checkout

This is where you (as the store owner) confirm orders. You can change the layout of your checkout page in the theme settings section. In this section, let customers create user accounts to store email, address, order history, etc. so that that information can be auto-filled at checkout.

At this step, you can also set up other accelerated checkout methods, namely Shop Pay, Google Pay, or Apple Pay. These Shopify checkout buttons will save lots of time for customers during the checkout process.

5. Receive payments

Before choosing the payment provider, make sure to keep an eye on both your location and your customers’ when selecting payment gateways, along with transaction fees, card types, and on-site/off-site checkout.

You may want to choose Shopify Payments or consider a list of more than 100 third-party providers for credit card payments. With non-credit card payments, you have probably heard of PayPal as the default provider, Amazon or Apple Pay. You check out our Shopify payment testing guide to properly set up payment on your Shopify store.

To choose your preferred currency, go to “Settings” > “Store details” > “Currency.”

6. Taxes

Most countries will require you to generate a tax on product sales and remit it back to the government. Luckily, Shopify with other invoice tools, such as Free Invoice Generator by PageFly simplifies the process by solving all common tax calculations. It applies default rates that need your confirmation or modification. Additionally, reports are available to help merchants to organize submission details when returning them to the government.

7. Discount codes

No matter which products you're selling, offering attractive discounts is a powerful way to capture attention and boost sales! Fortunately, Shopify makes it easy to create personalized discount codes right from the dashboard. Let us show you a quick and simple way to get started:

• Head to the “Discount” section of your dashboard and hit “Create discounts.”

• A pop-up will present four main discount options: “Amount Off Products,” “Amount Off Orders,” “Buy X Get Y,” and “Free Shipping.” Pick the one that fits your promo goals, then enter your unique discount code (like Springshirt10).

• If desired, scroll a bit further to the extra settings for discount conditions. Here, you can set minimum purchase amounts, limit how often it can be used, and select who's eligible to redeem it (whether it's open to all customers or only a specific segment).
• Once everything is in place, click “Generate.”

Just like that, your code is ready to share with any customers who seek a little extra value in their shopping carts!

8. Legal settings

We have explained thoroughly how to modify essential settings to boost the customer experience. But at the end of the day, remember that a smooth, win-win relationship is still very important. Just as you prioritize your customers, it's equally important that customers respect your store policies!

Fortunately, setting up these policies is pretty straightforward since Shopify already offers all the necessary built-in tools. Simply follow our easy guide:

• Go to “Settings”> “Policies” in your Shopify admin.

• Under “Written policies,” choose the policy you'd like to add or customize (Return policy, Privacy policy, Terms of Service, Shipping policy, Legal notice, or Subscription policy).
• From here, you can either write out all the details in the text box or click “Create from Template” to pick from a set of default themes. Feel free to adjust the style and format of this template just like how you did to your store theme earlier in Step 3.

• Give everything one final review, then hit “Save” to publish.

Step 8: Place a test order

If you make it to this stage of the Shopify tutorial, it’s likely that you want the website to go live right away. However, you’d better test your online store before taking some orders. To test the online transaction, you can look for Shopify’s Bogus Gateway – a payment provider that enables stores to proceed with the testing.

Go to “Settings” > “Payments” to deactivate any providers that you have enabled.

Then, go to the “Third-party providers” section and click on “Choose third-party provider.” On the “Third-parrty payment providers” page, you can see Bogus Gateway right at the top of the list. Click on it.

Then read the tutorial for further understanding and click on “Activate (for testing) Bogus Gateway” to start the testing.

After that, you can visit your store website like any other customer and place some orders. Otherwise, you can apply an alternative way which is to use an actual credit card and test if the fund’s transfer is finished.

Don’t forget to cancel that order if you don’t want to charge yourself any fees though.

Step 9: Pick a plan and start the business!

Congratulations if you have made it to this stage of our Shopify using guide! Once you make a decision to get the store to go live, spend some time researching and choosing between the 4 Shopify pricing plans: Basic Shopify, Shopify, Shopify Advanced, or Shopify Plus.

After selecting a plan, remember to remove all storefront passwords to get the store public by going to “Themes” > “Disable password.”

Step 10: Optimize the store with Shopify apps

This is the last stage of this Shopify Guide, where you can dive more into how Shopify works and improves the functionality of the apps!

Accordingly, there are probably over 13,000 Shopify apps on its App Store that can support any merchant to get more sales, generate social proof, or improve SEO capability. Sharpen your experience by skimming through our top-notch Shopify tips to boost sales that you should not ignore.

Go to “Apps” in the sidebar from the Admin page, and you will see a few recommended apps by Shopify based on your needs. Want to know which apps are best for your store? Here are some of the most popular options:

We have also compiled 25+ free apps here to give beginners like you a good head start; check them out!

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How to Create Essential Pages for Your Shopify Store

Aside from product catalogs, you should not overlook essential pages like About Us, History, or Contact Us. They help tell your brand's story and offer transparency, which gives visitors more confidence when considering their purchases!

Let us tell you what to do to add a simple Contact Us page in our Shopify tutorial:

• Go to “Online Store” > “Pages” and click on “Add page.”

• In the “Title” box, type “Contact Us” or “Get in Touch.” (or any other title you prefer).
• Next, in the “Content” box, add a friendly message or essential contact details. You could include a quick greeting, your store's address, phone number, etc.

• Choose “contact” in the Theme template, then click “Save.”

It's that simple! You can follow these same steps to set up other essential pages like About Us, History, or any other key information to make your store more welcoming.

On another note, to give your customers an even smoother shopping experience, how about setting up a product collection to group relevant items? Let us show you how to do it:

• Head to “Products”> “Collections”> “Create collection”.

• Add a title and description for your collection so customers know what to expect.

• Under “Collection type,” choose “Manual” to handpick the products you want.
• Finally, hit “Save”.

Now, in the “Products” section, you can either search for specific items or click “Browse” to select the most suitable picks for your collection.

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Shopify Tutorial: How to Make the First Shopify Sale

Your store is all set up and ready to roll! Now, let us tell you how to jumpstart your first sales and set the stage for even more to come:

Free traffic sources

As the name suggests, free traffic is an excellent way to get started without immediately pouring money into ads.
The most common approach is to optimize your search engine rankings (SEO) and ensure the store shows up when people search for products like yours:

• Use tools like Google Keyword Planner or Ahref to find keywords.
• Narrow down the options until you end up with a list of strong keywords that fit your products (but aren’t so competitive that you’ll get buried).
• Slot these words into your product titles, descriptions, and meta tags naturally. Remember to avoid keyword stuffing at all costs.

SEO aside, another goldmine to consider is social media like Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. Here, you can connect and engage with potential customers (share images, reply to comments, answer DMs, etc.) entirely for free!

Ads

Once you've got the budget and resources lined up to go beyond free traffic, why not invest in paid advertisements? Ads are among the fastest lane to your first sale, and when done right, they can put you in front of just the right people:

• Define your target audience: how old are they, where do they live, what interests do they have?
• Start small with a few ad variations first. Let these ads run and see which one pulls in the most clicks or sales, then put more budget into the winning options.
• Set retargeting ads with Facebook Pixel or Google Ads to remind visitors (who have seen the products but not yet bought them) to return and complete the purchase.

Set up sales channels

Last but not least, consider creating multiple sales channels for your products, such as Instagram, Amazon, eBay, etc. That way, you're basically giving your customers more roads leading to your store. It also reduces friction in the buying process, now that customers can make a purchase right away without leaving the app they're on.

As of this writing, there are hundreds of multichannel selling tools and applications. Yet, LitCommerce remains the leader, and it's not hard to see why. You can handle ALL your stores (from 20+ eCommerce platforms and social media channels) all from one simple dashboard. No more jumping from platform to platform; instead, everything’s right there at your fingertips!

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Shopify Tutorial to Reduce Costs on Shopify

No matter how well-planned your store might be, additional costs might sneak up if you do not keep track of them! To help you keep expenses in check (without losing any of the functionality you need), here are some simple but powerful tips:

Choose the right Shopify plan

As of this writing, Shopify offers four main pricing plans: Basic, Shopify, Advanced, and Plus (again, check out our Shopify pricing review for more details).

Although our goal here is to save costs, that doesn't mean you should immediately go to the cheapest option, however. What matters here is whether the plan can grow with your business in the long term.

For instance, Advanced and Plus plans may have a steeper monthly cost, but the lower transaction fees could end up saving you more. Not to mention, the higher plans also offer more inventory location and global selling features, which could save you from paying for extra apps.

So do the math, and don't be afraid to upgrade if it means more savings in the long run. Also, since Shopify offers a free 3-day trial, you can always experiment with the core features before committing.

Optimize app usage

Although Shopify third-party apps introduce amazing features, you should be selective during installation.
In fact, some apps do the work of three or four simultaneously, which can be a huge money-saver for you! Let's say you need email marketing, pop-ups, and a referral program; apps like Omnisend or Privy bundle those features together. You get everything in one neat package instead of paying for multiple subscriptions.

Besides, it's easy to overlook apps that are quietly billing you each month, so remember to do a quarterly app audit and see how these apps are performing (we suggest using Shopify's Analytics, which shows the specific apps that contribute the most to your bottom line). If some of them do not bring much value, it might be time to part ways!

Avoid chargebacks

Needless to say, chargebacks are a common headache for merchants (not to mention costly). But with the right tools, you can keep them at bay:

• Shopify's Fraud Protect helps catch suspicious transactions before they cause problems. They scan orders for warning signs (like mismatched addresses or strange buying patterns) and alert you to potential fraud. You can even get automatic refunds for flagged orders.
• Sometimes, chargebacks happen just because customers forget about a purchase or feel out of the loop. Apps like SMSBump or Klaviyo make it easy to set up automated messages for order confirmations, delivery updates, and even follow-ups after the sale.
• And when customers know they can easily send an item back if they're not satisfied, they're much less likely to file a chargeback! We recommend reputable apps like WeSupply or AfterShip Returns & Exchanges to give customers a self-service portal for returns.

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How to Use Shopify Tutorial – FAQs

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Final Thoughts

Whew! This Shopify tutorial has covered pretty much everything you should know on how to start a Shopify store.

As mentioned above, Shopify is a top-rated platform for eCommerce businesses for its ease of use, reasonable pricing, and various customization options! Over time, it is definitely a solid eCommerce solution to rely on for a long-term eCommerce strategy.

You can check out our LitExtension blog and join our eCommerce community to acquire more practical suggestions for your online stores. And, if you’re planning on moving to Shopify, visit our migration platform and experience the most time-plus cost-effective solution!

You may also like: 

• 5 Top Shopify Competitors All Merchants Should Know About
• 30 Best Shopify Themes for Your Store [2024] Free & Paid